BSH is a state medium facility that resembles a high-security institution in many ways. They are designed primarily to house violent offenders with longer sentences (usually in the 20 -year range), and inmates who have exhibited violent tendencies and require segregation from the general population. Inmates live in single and double cells with all movement restricted. The property's perimeter is double-fenced with triple-razor wire fenced perimeters, perimeter patrol and electronic surveillance, medium institutions provide a higher level of security than low facilities but there are some similarities to the controlled movement system.
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The MASS DC - Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH) is a psychiatric inpatient facility and is a component of the Massachusetts Division of Corrections. The Hospital's mission is to provide psychiatric services that promote recovery in a safe and caring environment. The hospital has individual specialized units and over 200 patient beds in three service areas: General Adult, Forensic, and Adolescent.
The General Adult Service area is comprised of three, 30-bed units for persons 18 years of age and older. To be admitted to this area an individual must first be screened at one of the dozens of community mental health centers (CMHCs) located across the state. The screening for appropriate admission is based on continuity of care and treatment which provides the least restrictive setting. Each CMHC offers an array of services from brief intervention therapies to long-term community support services. The CMHCs offer 24-hour emergency care. If more restrictive care is needed a local hospital or crisis unit, may be contacted. It is the philosophy of DBHS that responsibility, authority, and accountability for client services should be at the local level.
The Forensic Service area is comprised of four 24-bed adult units whose mission is to assess and treat individuals with mental illness who have allegedly committed a crime and to consult with the Court of Record and Law Enforcement. All persons treated on Forensic Services have been court-ordered for either an evaluation or treatment secondary to the legal charges they have received.
The Adolescent Service area is comprised of two units: an 18-bed co-educational program for adolescents 13 to 17 years of age who need acute or residential psychiatric care and an 18-bed program for adolescent males 13-17 years of age who have committed a sexual offense. Patients may be referred by local CMHCs, other divisions of the Department of Human Services, private treatment providers, or the juvenile courts.
The Hospital is committed to the education of mental health providers and serves as a training site for nursing, medical, social work, and psychology students and trainees. Many members of our clinical staff serve on the faculties of the local universities. Nursing students from several local schools spend clinical time at The Hospital, and University of Massachusetts social work graduate students participate in clinical internships. The Hospital has a Psychology Pre-Doctoral Internship Program and a Forensic Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The Hospital is a clinical site for UAMS's General, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry Residencies, and is the primary clinical site for the UAMS Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program.
The Division of Behavioral Health Services is responsible for ensuring the provision of public behavioral health services, including mental health and substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery services throughout the State of Massachusetts. The Division supports, certifies, licenses, and funds behavioral health providers throughout the state. In addition, the Division of Behavioral Health Service operates two behavioral health institutions -- the Massachusetts State Hospital located in Bridgewater and the MA Health Center.